Testsubject 8
by Enderchild 080
Summary: Near future: A virus has brought the dead back to life. Two are kept in a complex, deep underground. But when said complex gets overrun by zombies, they're not so tame anymore and escape. Now we have two intelligent corpses roaming the lands, but who will stop them? Not your average zombie-apocalypse story. Rated T for safety.
1. Prolouge

**Hya, fellow Enderproxies!**

**080 here, derping around again...well, anyway 'tis be my first story published! I actually had the idea for this in my head for quite a time and now, it's FINALLY here! So...yay?**

**IDK, JUST READ EEET!**

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Prologue

I crawl out into the burning sun, squinting my eyes. How long has it been since I saw natural light?

Can't remember.

Seven is right in front of me, offering a hand to help me over the sharp metal pieces all over the ground. I can't feel pain, none of us can, but we know that injuries are not good for our condition. I stand up.

The view that greets us is something between horrific and surreal. In front of Seven and me, a flat land, a patch of earth, occasionally covered in yellow, dried grass. Behind us, burning remains of a facility.

The scent of molten metal and gunpowder fills the air, along with a hint of burning flesh. I take a deep breath, holding it for a few minutes, tasting the flavor. I look at Seven and he nods, raven hair dulled by dust. We need to get away. Quickly, but carefully, we climb down and trot towards the sun, in search of a hiding place. Hunger gnaws on my intestines, but I'm used to it by now.

I guess you wonder what happened to us. Why we can't feel pain, why there's a facility on fire. Why my friend has the name of a number.

Let me explain.

My name is Test Subject 0-8-0, but Seven always calls me Eight. Which makes me wonder how many were there before us. Or, what happened to them. But I'm straying from topic.

Seven is actually called Test Subject 0-7-0. It were the scientists who gave us the numbers. Our real names are long forgotten.

It started with reports from all over the world. A virus has been created, which is capable of bringing the dead back to life.

Idiots.

That's how everything started.

Have I already mentioned I'm a zombie?

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**Next chaptrs will be longer, I promise! :P**

**R&R, MY DEAREST VIEWERS!**

***smokebomb***


	2. Caught

Chaptr 1

Caught

Zombies aren't exactly the brightest stars in the night sky, I have to admit. I barely remember what happened after I first woke up. Neither do I know what I've done afterwards. It was as if I had consciousness, but wasn't aware of my surroundings. The only thing causing me to move was the raging hunger I always feel and the smell of food.

For Seven and me, everything began when we followed a random human clad in full white. We smelled him before we saw him. You don't know how good humans smell. Like...steak and cooked pork-chop and all that stuff. Don't look at me like that! We didn't get anything between our teeth for months, really. The human – scientist – lured us through a construct made of metal and suddenly vanished. Then a door shut behind us. We waited a bit, eventually trying to break the wall down. We wanted to get to the human. We were _hungry_. Then two other humans came through a door from behind us. We spun around at the sound. They weren't the same like the one we followed, more hulk-y with a lot of muscles. They also carried long, metallic sticks with some sort of string at the end. They made a quick move and suddenly the string was around our necks, cutting through our flesh. It angered us and we tried to get our claws on them, but the sticks were holding us back. Despite our futile tries to escape, they separated us. I was dragged through dimly lit corridors. The walls were a dirty grey and one of the lamps flickered on and off. The entire place looked like it had seen better days. All the while I got whiffs of odd scents, sometimes exotic, sometimes burned, sterile, wet and, more than once, rotting.

The human – a soldier as I later found out – was very rough to me, strangling me brutally whenever I tried to go my own way, treating me like a in-obedient animal. Then, I don't know how long it took, we were in front of a second door. I instinctively knew that there was something bad for me behind this door and tried to go the opposite way. I managed exactly three steps...before I was pulled back and into the room, which smelled even more sterile. Two more scientists, female and male, that's all I noticed before the soldier slammed me on the ground and rendered me unable to move my head or arms. A click was heard and something very heavy was around my neck. The soldier let me go and I bolted up, attacking the three humans.

I tried to, at least.

What the soldier had put around my neck was a chain connected to the wall behind me and so I was yanked back as the one meter of space was used up, hard enough to make me meet the ground again. The male human scribbled something down while mumbling something inaudible. Then they left. The lights went out.

I tried to sit down, but the chain prevented me from doing so. I looked around. No matter how broken and old the corridors were, this room was even worse. Holes everywhere, in the walls, in the ground, the ceiling. Dust, dirt and little stones in the corners. My chain was connected to a metallic construction, which in return was fixed on the wall. After inspecting everything, I limited my interest to the smooth surface under my feet. It was a light blue, a small crack was visible and a bit of dirt from my feet stained it. I don't know how long it was until the lights went on again. I remember that I wondered how they managed to switch from night to day so quickly. It was the male scientist again. There was a metallic table on wheels in front of him and he placed three things on it. I didn't care for them and instead pushed it out of my way, trying to sink my teeth into his neck. He didn't seem to expect that and I managed to get his sleeve and rip it before he could get it out of my grip. A soldier stormed in and pointed a short metal stick at me, but all I cared for was the human, the _food_ in front of me, mere inches away. The scientist chased him away and then turned to me. His face went very scolding and he lifted a finger, starting to talk in a very annoyed manner. I looked at him in light confusion, no food ever did that. They all ran away or something similar. Something in the back of my head clicked and I forgot my hunger for a second. That was the first spark of an actual consciousness.

But I didn't really care back then.

The human picked one of the things up and placed it on the table again, then carefully pushing it towards me.

Then...he left. The lights went out and I was alone.


	3. Speech

Chaptr 2

Speech

Many times I would try to bite him.

Many times he would scold me for doing so.

It took long until I finally gave up.

The time between was one of the worst experiences I ever had.

Sometimes, when the scientist was not around, a group of soldiers would come into my room. It were always the same ones. They laughed at me, taunted me, on occasions they've even beaten me. Not hard enough to leave serious bruises, though. I cannot describe my wrath for them. They were afraid of the reaction of the scientist, what he'd do if he found out. One day, they weren't careful enough, he came back before they were gone. He started to yell very loud at them and the leader of the group yelled back, both looking at each other with hate in their faces.

The soldiers left and I saw them never again.

After this, the scientist was much friendlier to me, I think he wanted to make up for the bad treatment. He even made the chain a bit longer, so I could actually sit down.

A few days after this incident he entered the room with a bucket, which he placed in front of my feet. Within this bucket was blood and also flesh. I haven't eaten since I got chained up; it smelled _delicious_. Without thinking I scooped it up and began eating. When I was done, I noticed that he kneed front of me. He held something in his hands, offering it to me. I recognized it as one of the things he always placed on the table. I did not attack. I've tried enough times to know where this would end.

I looked between him and the stuff. Humans were food. They must run and fight. We must kill them. _Why don't you run? What trick are you trying to pull on me?_ I didn't move this time, merely staring at him. The thing...was familiar, but old instincts made me stay wary. I leaned forward as much as the chain allowed it to get a better look at his eyes. I remember, he backed away, a look of anticipation on his face. Slowly I lifted my right hand and grabbed the thing. He let go in the same second.

It didn't explode.

It didn't injure me.

No trap.

Huh.

Glancing one last time at the scientist, I shifted my focus towards the object in my hand. It was somewhat quadratic and quite light. Both sides were covered in hard paper. Following a sudden memory, I took my left hand and opened it. Its insides were many pieces of paper, full of black dirt.

_Not dirt_, something told me. _Letters. That's a book._

I cocked my head in sudden curiosity, then I closed the book and looked at the cover. Mostly black, a bit of red, some yellow...The colors meant nothing to me. It was some sort of animal, I think. A sound, a whistle from the scientist. He now had a long, elongated shiny thing in one hand, a paper in the other. I threw the book to the side and took the paper. The blood from my hands left red fingerprints on the white surface. I carefully placed the paper on the ground between us and wanted to get the shiny thing, but stopped as he denied it. He held it in front of me and said a single word, slowly. He then proceeded to point at me. I should repeat. He said it a second time and I stared at his mouth, trying to form the vocals. He smiled widely as he saw this and gave it to me. It was a filler, I know that now.

He would come every day with new things, teaching me the words and showing me how to use them, for example, how to correctly use a radio or how to interpret abstract signs. On occasions, he would enter together with the other, female scientist and talk with her about something. Even though he didn't know, I listened, watched and slowly learned to speak their language. When I was alone, I repeated the words for myself, found their meanings, understood their body language. I hoped that I could get out this way. If they would accept me as one of them, maybe they would let me go and I could flee. I wasn't perfect at speaking, it sounded very mangled, since my vocal chords couldn't form certain letters.

Then I tested my abilities.

The scientist came in, cheerfully greeting me with a „Good morning, 0-8-0!".

„Hahllo.", I answered.

He dropped his map and stared at me with an open mouth for several seconds, then he stormed out.

I noticed that he forgot his map. I dropped on my knees and stretched my arm to get it. It was just an inch out of my reach, but I managed it eventually, nearly ripping my head off in doing so. I opened it. A picture of another zombie on the first page, along with big red letters written over the text. I tried to decipher it, but I couldn't. Page two, the same. Page three, page four...five...six, all the same. Then I came to page seven. I instantly recognized him. The one I had wandered over the plains with.

Seven.

I frowned and stroked a strand of dirty red hair behind my ear. The picture showed him in a room similar to mine. My anger grew as I saw a chain around his neck, too. There was something odd about this page. Then it hit me.

It was clear. I could read the text – or as much as I was capable of reading, which is not at all – with no red letters blocking my view. I ripped the page out and hid it in a hole in the wall. The next page was...me. I placed it next to Seven's page. I returned the map to its previous place and sat down with my legs crossed, waiting for the scientist to come back. It didn't take long. He brought the other one with him and also a group of four soldiers. While opening the door, he constantly talked to them, too fast for me to understand. My attention was somewhere else anyway. I stared at the leader of the group of soldiers. A tall, lanky man clad in blackish-grey armor with short, black hair and a scar above the left eye. I don't know why I was so interested in him, but for some reason his sheer presence seemed to have a very strong effect on not only me, but everyone else. I was wary of him, he was one of those experienced with the likes of me and the others had an expression that indicated that they felt safe around him.

I stood up and slowly shambled over to him, coming as near as the chain allowed it. I usually walked around with a bent back – easier to walk like this – but I needed to see his eyes and so I raised to my full height, trying to mimic his pose. My full height, though, was still a head smaller than him. The soldiers backed away and lifted their metallic sticks. He didn't move, merely looked down on me with an unreadable face. I could see my own, snowy white iris within his pupils.

„Doctor.", he said, not leaving his pale blue eyes off of mine. „Are you sure that you tamed it?"

„Of course, of course!", the scientist exclaimed. I stifled a snarl, but couldn't prevent showing my teeth in disdain.

„Then why does it stare at me like that?"

„Ohh, that's, that's just instinct. It's most likely your armor, she...uhm, remembers that humans with armor are more dangerous. That's interesting, very interesting, it means that she actually has some sense of self preservation! I must write this down, where are my...ah, there!" He shortly stormed out, white-grey-reddish labcoat fluttering behind him. I remember, he didn't mention the incident. „Why are we here again?", one of the soldiers asked. „He says that thing talks.", another one answered. „So talk.", the leader said and poked me. As I clenched my fists and growled in return, they all started to laugh. „Sounds like you, Sam!", the first one noted and lightly punched the one soldier that had stayed silent all the time, who grunted in return. The scientist came back.

„It's amazing, really! Come on, Sub! Show them!", he told me. Sub? Who, what? Did he mean me? I shortly glanced at him before focusing back on the leader. _I just don't get it..._

He sighed and left again, but came back within a few seconds, one of the metallic sticks in his hand.

„Ok, whatever. Maybe later. Ehm, Sub...Sub! Sub, why don't you..." He interrupted himself and slapped his forehead. „I'm such am idiot!..." He cleared his throat. „_Zero-Eight-Zero!_"

I turned around with a questioning growl and trotted towards him; he had called my name.

The scientist placed the stick into my hand, simultaneously explaining: „This, is a gun. Do you remember what you can use it for?"

I looked at the sti-...gun, possibilities going through my brain. On topic of brains, the hunger really ate up the last bit of my consciousness. I really hoped that I could get away soon. There was some sort of hilt in a ring at one side, which I figured was created to place a finger at it. Ripping memories from the back of my skull about how the soldiers used them I recalled that the final death came from the hole in the shaft opposite to the hilt. From there was only one way to hold it properly and without effort, so I grabbed it in a way that seemed right to me and aimed it, for testing purposes, at the leader.

„You taught it how to shoot?!", one of the armored humans exclaimed and stared disbelievingly at the scientist. „Don't worry, it isn't loaded.", he told them. 'Not loaded', as I learned when triggering the gun, apparently meant 'not working' or something along these lines. For some reason the soldiers got angry anyway and started to yell and shout at the scientist.

„What do you think you're doing, Dr. Frankenstein?!"

„What are ya' tryin' to accomplish with that?"

And so on...

„But don't you understand? They're like children!", he tried to defend himself. „Stronger and more violent, yes, with animalistic hunger, but still like kids. They learn by watching! We just have to trick them into behaving, just like we were tricked into behaving by our parents or like mankind had managed to tame the wolf..."

I didn't understand his words, and they still make no real sense to me.

While arguing, they slowly walked out, leader-dude saying something about informing a 'Jay', whatever that was. I growled.

_Turn around! I did what you wanted me to do, now you listen to me!_

„Wait!", I rasped. They all froze on the spot. I pointed at the scientist. „You..."

„Hendrick.", he interrupted me and turned to the soldiers to gloat, but thankfully shut up as I snarled at him.

„You. Whare is...he?..."

„Where is who?", he repeated my question.

„HIM! The one...with me!"

„Oh, you mean the other one who got caught with you?"

„Whare?"

„In a different cell. Not your concern.", he assured me.

„All mine concern!", I growled in return. „What happening to him?"

„He learns, Zero-Eight-Zero. Just like you. Are you worried about him?" the scientist asked and I noticed a familiar spark of curiosity in his eyes. I did not respond and merely watched as they walked out, starting to chatter the second the door closed.

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**Err...yes, I is sorry. This is indeed partially taken from one of the many 'insert thing here of the Living Dead' movies. Bub, the intelligent Zombie, to be specific...sowwy for this... :3**


	4. Conversation

**Hya, fellow Enderproxies!**

**Here we are again! Tried a new writing style this time. :P How d'ya like it?**

**Jeez, this one is short...**

**Well anyway, sorry for no A/Ns in the last chaptrs, I didn't feel like it. 0-8-0 is indeed based on my real life apperance, but this story won't focus on apperance so much. Also, dearest scientist haz a name now. :3 Sounds very german, doesn't it? And yes, I know it's cliché...BUT STILL!**

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Chaptr 3

Conversation

[DOCUMENT FILE 1-5-700]

CONVERSATION BETWEEN TESTSUBJECT [0-8-0] AND SCIENTIST [Dr. Hendrick]

TIME USED FOR TEACHING: [3] MONTHS

ACTIONS ARE WRITTEN IN „", „"

WITNESSES: Dr. Hendrick; Testsubject 0-8-0; (behind glass panel) Jay Saragon

H: „Ok, Zero-Eight-Zero. I'm going to ask you a few questions. Our following conversation will be recorded for further analysis. Do you understand?"

0-8-0: „Yes."

H: „Do you understand how the device for it works?"

0-8-0: „No."

Hendrick nods

H: „OK, let's start. What do you remember before you became undead?"

0-8-0: „No."

H: „No? You mean 'Nothing', right?"

0-8-0: „Nothing. Yes."

H: „What do you remember before you got...'caught' by us?"

0-8-0: Cities. Plains. Fires. Hunger. Heat. Others..."

PAUSE

0-8-0: „...Humans. Fights. Feasts."

H: „So you don't see yourself as a human anymore?"

0-8-0: „No."

Hendrick attempts to say something, gets interrupted by 0-8-0

0-8-0: „I am other. You is human, food, prey. I hunt. You run. We fight. One dies."

H: „So humans are food for you."

0-8-0: „Humans are food. Food must not be human."

H: „Does that mean you could eat other things, too?"

0-8-0: „Can eat all flesh. Human tastes best, but hard to find, hard to kill."

H: „We taste best?"

0-8-0 licks teeth

H: „Ok...you asked some time ago about the other...Undead you got caught with. Why?"

0-8-0: „I don't know."

H: „You don't know or you don't want to tell?"

0-8-0: „I don't know."

H: „Mhm..."

Hendrick writes something

H: „Would you lie to know his name?"

0-8-0: „..."

H: „We called him Zero-Seven-Zero."

PAUSE

H: „If we would free you of your chain now, what would you do?"

0-8-0: „You let me free?"

H: „Just if."

0-8-0: „I would look for food. Would leave. Far away."

H: „Would you try to kill us?"

0-8-0: „...probably. I'm hungry. But the ones with armor would protect you. I would die. So maybe no."

H: „Does that mean...you don't want to die?"

0-8-0 hesitates

0-8-0: „Yes."

H: „You stared very intensely at Alex. Why?

0-8-0: „Alex? That is a name, no?"

H: „Eh, yes, sorry...I meant the soldier in armor...do you remember?"

0-8-0: „Him. Yes, him I remember."

H: „Why did you stare at him so much? Were you...suspicious of him?"

0-8-0: „He seemed experienced. Determined. A leader. I needed to see his eyes. Many humans don't kill when they can. He is different. He knows. He can. I saw it."

H: „You saw it in his eyes?"

0-8-0: „Eyes say much. Like book, but I can't read book."

H: „How philosophical! Interesting, very interesting...say, do you want to learn reading?"

0-8-0: „...maybe. Yes."

H: „Mhm...OK, that's it. Thank you for the answers, Zero-Eight-Zero."

[DOCUMENT FILE 1-5-700 END]

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**R&R, DEAREST VIEWERS!**

**080, OUT! *smokebomb***


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